


The Darkness

by herefortheview



Category: Archie Comics & Related Fandoms, Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Future, Dark! Jughead Jones, Engaged Betty Cooper, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff, Journalist Betty Cooper, Married Veronica Lodge, Multi, Slow Burn, Smut, Southside Serpent Jughead Jones, betty moved away
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-20
Updated: 2021-01-20
Packaged: 2021-03-18 11:28:40
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,918
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28866291
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/herefortheview/pseuds/herefortheview
Summary: Betty Cooper returns to Riverdale after 10 years away. She buys the old diner she and her friends once loved and practically lived in, and decides to reopen it and return some cheer to Riverdale. But the darkness that has been chasing Betty her entire life is never out of sight, especially once returned to her hometown. Her old life is around every corner, and to make matters more complicated, the boy who got away won't stop showing up. Can Betty beat the darkness, or will it swallow her whole?
Relationships: Betty Cooper/Jughead Jones, Betty Cooper/Original Male Character(s), Veronica Lodge/Original Male Character(s)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 19





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fanfic, and I'm so excited! Please let me know what you think so far!

Betty Cooper stood in the parking lot of the old closed down restaurant. The sign had long gone dark; milkshakes no longer were served to local kids in the bright red booths. No one had set foot inside since Pop Tate died, which was five years earlier. The windows were boarded, and there was graffiti littering the faded siding. She noticed a bejeweled crown tucked behind some profanity and smiled softly to herself. The tag made her think of a boy she had last seen here, at Pops. Maybe he had even drawn it.

When the memory turned sad, as most of her memories about her hometown did, she pushed it from her mind. Instead, she thought of where to start. She walked to the windows where the wooden planks left a gap and peered inside. The diner had definitely seen better days. The booths and the counter stood intact, but the years of neglect wore heavy. The wallpaper was peeling, signs were falling off the wall, and nearly a decade’s worth of dust settled across the place. The dilapidated state caused more sadness than even memories of her father did. Her father was always a psychopath, a dark and permanent fixture in her backstory. This place was once alive and warm. Now she felt like a voyeur, watching the slow decay and rot of Riverdale’s once vibrant heartbeat.

She moved from the window and towards the door, the bright red paint marred by scuffs. She placed the key in the lock and entered the diner. On perhaps reflex, she inhaled deeply, expecting the smell of fresh French fries to meet her. Instead, she breathed in the cloud of dust the movement of the door set free, which caused her to descend into a coughing fit.

She waved her arm around and blinked, trying to clear some of the dust from her face. As she looked around the inside of the diner, she grew nervous. Maybe she should not have purchased the place sight unseen, she suddenly worried. The purchase, the move, the uprooting of her life, was all a whim. She remembered her mother’s reaction and was worried Alice was right.

_ “I’ve decided to move back to Riverdale,” she blurted to her mother over the phone one day. She’d known for a week but was scared to brooch the subject. _

_ “What did you just say, Elizabeth?” Alice’s voice had lost the warm and familiar tone of light conversation. “Why on Earth would you go back there? You have a perfectly good job here, in California.” _

_ Betty knew this would upset her mother. After Hal’s arrest as the Black Hood, Alice packed up and moved them across the country, finding a job as a news anchor in San Francisco. Alice was convinced distance would solve all their problems. Betty was so mad at her mother they barely spoke for the first month of their new lives. But Betty soon realized moving was the only way to escape their demons. Well, most of their demons. _

_ “Mom, don’t be mad, please.” While Alice and Betty had their differences for nearly all of Betty’s life, they had grown incredibly close after starting over. The domineering Alice still reared her insufferable head now and again, but only in the extremes. Like Betty’s surprise decision. _

_ “Mad! I’m not mad, I’m concerned! After what your father di-“ _

_ “My father is dead,” Betty interjected. Hal died four months before Betty decided to return to Riverdale. A fellow inmate stabbed him, something the darkest corner of Betty’s mind counted as a favor. _

_ Alice sighed into the phone. “But the memory of him isn’t.” There was a pause where neither woman had anything to say. Finally, Alice broke the silence. “Betty, it is just that town. Those people.” Another pause as Alice searched for her next words. “Why do you want to go back there?” _

_ Betty thought carefully. She was not sure if the truth would convince her mother she was crazy or calm her worries. She decided there was no point in lying. “I’m going to use the money dad left me to buy Pop’s and reopen it.” _

_ “Dear lord Elizabeth.” _

_ “I already talked to Veronica,” She said quickly, trying to get all the information out before her mother could scold her. “She’s going to give me a fair price on it, and she even said she’d invest if I did all the heavy lifting.” _

_ “Veronica Lodge?” An edge sank into Alice’s voice. “She couldn’t keep the place afloat why can you?” _

_ “She was 16-years-old Mom. What kind of 16-year-old can run a restaurant by themselves?” _

_ “You have no experience running a restaurant. How can you do it by yourself? Pop Tate’s dead.” _

_ Betty realized her mother would never approve of her decision. Not until she had done it and proven successful. “It’s done, Mom. I’m leaving in two weeks.” She sucked her bottom lip between her teeth, nervous this could cause a rift in the relationship they had worked so hard to preserve. Her mother had grown forgiving in the last few years, but any mention of the past made Alice tense, and too much like her old self. _

_ “This is so irresponsible,” Alice said quickly. “You could use the money here without having to go back to that place. You have a job here, a life here. All that’s waiting for you there is darkness. That’s all Riverdale is.” _

Darkness. She closed her eyes and told herself her mother was wrong. Darkness was not only in Riverdale. Though they tried to escape it, darkness followed Betty across the continent and for almost all of her adult life. Through her final years of high school and into college. It followed her as she skipped from job to job, as she chased article after article. At twenty-eight, Betty Cooper was no stranger to darkness.

She looked around the place, a combination of excited and nervous. The shop had seen better days, that was certain. The memories danced through her imagination the bright and cheerful Pops of her youth looked nothing like the run-down shack before her. It was obvious people had made it past the boarded sides, the walls marred by graffiti, trash littered the floor, and several tables and chairs were toppled on their sides. She had so much work to do.

She heard tires against gravel, and she looked to the window. The boards across the window obstructed her view. She moved closer to the window and could see that a dark-colored SUV had entered the lot. She checked her watch and figured it was Veronica, here for their meeting to finish signing papers and to catch up.

Betty exited the building just as Veronica stepped out of the passenger seat of the black range rover, and a tall redhead emerged from the driver’s side. Of course, she was with Archie, Betty thought to herself.

“Bee!” Veronica shouted in a high pitch tone before running at Betty with open arms. Soon she was enveloped in the dark-haired woman’s arms, laughing at the excitement radiating from her old friend. The two had not seen each other in person in two years, not since Veronica last visited Betty while on a work trip to the West Coast.

“God, it’s so good to see you, Vee,” Betty said into her hair, smiling and pulling her friend close. While they rarely saw each other after Betty’s move, they always made a point to stay in touch, talking on the phone at least once a month. Betty had flown to New York for Roni’s wedding five years before, and when her godchild had been born a year and a half later.

The friends separated, laughing and keeping ahold of each other’s arms.

“Hi there,” Came a deep voice from behind Roni, and Betty found Archie standing sheepishly behind Veronica.

“Arch!” She exclaimed, dropping Veronica’s arms and opening her own for Archie.

She had not seen him since Roni’s wedding. Betty stood on her tiptoes to embrace him, inhaling the scent of his cologne, a different one than the one he used in high school, but somehow still familiar. It was not until she pulled away, she realized why. It was the one Fred always wore. She timidly put her arms behind her back, wringing her wrists. The last time she was in Riverdale was when she and Alice came back for his funeral. She could not think about that visit now.

“How’s the center?” She asked excitedly, noticing the shirt Archie wore which sported the logo.

“It’s going really well,” He said, bringing his hand to the nape of his neck. “I don’t know if you heard but we opened a second location in Greendale. Roni helped with the financing.”

Roni beamed.

“That’s fantastic Arch,” Betty said she brought her hands to the front of her body, twisting her fingers. It had been so long, their effortless friendship seemed so distant.

“Do you want to show us the place?”

Roni led the small trio through the doors.

Betty watched as her two old friends took in their old haunt. She noticed Archie staring at their booth, the one they had claimed as a foursome, spending Friday nights drinking shakes and swapping stories. That was of course all before.

As the other two looked around some more, unsure of what to say standing amidst all their memories, Betty let her mind wander to him. She had not seen him in five years since Roni’s wedding. She smiled softly at that memory in particular. She caught Archie out of the corner of her eye and could not stop herself.

“How is he?”

Archie did not have to ask who ‘he’ was. “He’s doing good. Still living over on the South Side. I actually just had lunch with him a few days ago.”

From the corner of her eye, she could see Vee watching her. Her friend knew how tough a subject Jughead was for Betty.

“Are him and Sabrina still together?” Betty asked although she was not quite sure why. It did not matter if Jughead was seeing anyone.

“No, she moved away actually.”

Betty nodded, avoiding eye contact, pretending to suddenly become engrossed in the mess behind the counter, moving away from the two people who truly understood why she would ask.

In high school, everyone thought Betty and Jughead would end up together. Even after Betty moved, she still believed it. But things got complicated, as they often do, and it did not work for the two of them.

Betty could sense Archie and Vee wanted to ask her more questions but she decided she could not do it. There was no time to mourn her old relationship, with the boy that got away. She looked down to her left hand, to the ring on her fourth finger, and smiled to herself. She turned to face the other two and clapped her hands together. “Should we get started?”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Betty gets to work at Pops but receives a surprise visitor...

Betty had been back in Riverdale for four days. She had done a lot of work on Pop’s in such a short time. With the help of Archie and a couple of guys he knew through the construction company, they had accomplished most of the heavy lifting. They had gotten the garbage cleaned out, replaced some windows, and had finished redoing the countertop.

It was only eight in the morning when Betty pulled into the parking lot. She hopped out of her car and went to her backseat to pick up the paint cans she had brought along. Today was the first day of repainting the interior walls. She assured Archie she could handle the project by herself, already feeling guilty by the amount of free labor he had provided.

As Betty made her way into Pop’s, carefully balancing the buckets of paint, she felt her phone begin to buzz in her back pocket. She set the buckets down outside the door and reached for both the key and her phone. When she saw his name atop the screen, her face lit up.

“Hey you,” She answered sweetly.

“Hey baby,” Came Michael’s voice in her ear.

“What are you doing up? It’s four a.m. there!”

“I can’t sleep, I’ve been up since two,” he whined.

Betty got the door open and held the phone between her shoulder and her ear as she grabbed for the paint cans. “That sucks,” she said, distracted by the task at hand.

“It really does I’m exhausted.” At that, he let out a big yawn. “What are you doing right now?”

She walked quickly, trying to make it to a table before the paint dropped from her arms. “I’m about to start painting the walls.”

Michael seemed excited about the new development. When Betty had told him her plans to move back to Riverdale, she had expected him to break up with her. The last thing Betty thought he would do was propose. Michael had been supportive and knew when she set her mind to something she had to do it. He did not care if their engagement was long. Michael told her one day he could move closer or she could move back and that he could wait until then. Betty was unsure what she had done in her life to deserve him.

The two chatted for a while, Betty standing by the counter and admiring the new red top, tapping her free hand against it. She was not sure why, but even as she spoke with Michael, she felt uneasy. There was a nervous energy in the air, and she could not figure out why.

Eventually, Michael grew too tired to continue talking, and the couple bid their goodbyes.

“Love you,” Michael said, followed by another yawn.

“You too,” Betty said back, smiling around the words. She had been with Michael for two years now. They had been some of the happiest years of her life. Betty’s anxiety often took control, making her feel energetic as if she might bust. But Michael, he calmed her. When she was soaring high above the ground, he could grab her and pull her back to Earth. If she was a wave, he was her shore, always there waiting for her to return. She truly loved him.

She hung up the phone and looked at the paint cans. She first needed to tape off the wood paneling before she would start painting the walls the off-white color. She ran back out to her car to grab the rest of the supplies she had picked up from the hardware store. As she shut the door to her car, she heard a car approaching from around the corner on the road. No, not a car-a motorcycle. She looked up and watched a man ride by, speeding probably more than he should on his way into town. Betty thought nothing of it before going back inside. The road was busy. Over the past few days, she had seen many people going by.

What Betty did not know was who the man on the motorcycle was. She did not know about his double-take at seeing her in the parking lot or the fact that every time he drove past, he looked at the building with nostalgia in his heart and thought of Betty Cooper herself.

The man pulled into a driveway of someone just down the road from Pop’s and stopped, putting his foot down to the gravel. He could not believe what he thought he had seen. There was no way it was actually her. He had been thinking of her the day before and even dreamt about her that night. She was just on his mind, that was all. He pushed off the gravel and turned back towards the diner. He sped, thinking in the back of his mind he better not get pulled over. He soon passed by Pop’s again. As he approached, he saw the front door swing shut. He was going too fast and the sun was too bright to get a good look in the windows. There was no way, he thought to himself. No way.

He found another driveway and turned around again. This time as he approached Pop’s parking lot, he slowed down. Without thinking, as if by some old resurfacing reflex, he pulled into the driveway.

Betty Cooper heard the movement of the gravel and sighed. She had told Archie not to come by today, that he had already done enough. Betty dropped the painter’s tape onto the table next to her and stood from where she crouched ready to apply it. She walked to the front door and opened it, ready to tell Archie to go away she could do this part on her own.

Instead, she was met by the sight of a tall man, dressed in a white t-shirt, dark jeans, and a leather jacket. A jacket she recognized instantly. A Southside Serpent jacket. Her heart began to beat. There was no way it was him; he would not stop here. She had told Archie not to mention she was in town. It was another serpent. It had to be.

The man looked at her from across the parking lot in disbelief. It had been five years since he had seen her. They had not spoken outside of a few texts and comments on each other’s social media. He had thought of her often, the one who got away. He thought of her quite often lately, ever since Sabrina left.

She stared at the mystery man, his helmet hiding his face. Finally, his hands raised, and he took it off, and she saw him. His dark hair was shorter than the last time she had seen it but still long on top, closer to how he wore it in high school. His eyes shown brightly across his face, and lines were beginning to pull at the corner of his eyes. He was older, different, and somehow darker, but it was still him.

“Jughead,” She whispered.

He looked back at her. “Betts,” he replied, feeling a smile wash over his face. Before he could stop himself, he deposited his helmet onto his bike and closed the distance between them. He arrived at her feet and stopped in his tracks, looking down into her soft green eyes.

He stood a foot away, his breathing suddenly heavy. “What are you doing here?” He asked.

She looked down, breaking their prolonged eye contact, and watched her fingers fussing with her ring. “I bought the place from Veronica,” she said, looking back up to his face. She pursed her lips, waiting for his response.

“You’re back in town?” He asked. He could not believe it.

“Yeah,” was all she managed. She should have known Jughead would find out. This was Riverdale after all, much smaller than San Francisco. She was not sure why she did not want him to know. She had wondered about it ever since she told Archie not to mention it. She had not thought about it before she said it. It had just slipped out the first night after she finished signing papers.

“Don’t tell Jughead I’m in town, please,” she said, and Archie, the loyal friend he was, had agreed without question, though she detected many in lying in his eyes.

Yet here she was, Jughead standing in front of her, with a look in his she recognized from their passionate encounter from nearly five years before. She suddenly realized that was why she did not want him to know. It was Jughead. How was she supposed to avoid that look? How was she supposed to refrain from returning it?

“For how long?” He asked, breaking her from her thoughts.

“I’ve been in town since Tuesday,” She answered, avoiding his eyes, avoiding that look.

“And how long until you leave?” He asked, wondering how long he would have her. They had seen each other a few times in the first five years she was gone, when he flew out to her for her junior prom, and when she returned for Fred’s funeral. The reunions were passionate, the kind of passion only two young kids who loved each other wholly can share. Then Betty stopped wanting to see him, and Jughead respected that, even though it broke his heart.

Then there was Veronica’s wedding. Their reunion that night was nothing like either had had before. Both were more experienced and both were so desperate for each other, their tryst could only be described as blissful. Jughead could not help but think about it now as he stared down at her, suppressing a smile. He hoped they would keep the tradition alive.

“Indefinitely,” Betty replied. She could not help but think about the last time she had seen Jughead. Her thoughts were on the morning after, waking up in his bed, watching his sleeping face. Sneaking out without saying goodbye to catch her flight home. It was not that she regretted the night. She regretted it was only once. Her thoughts suddenly turned to Michael, at home, sleeping in what, until a few days ago, was their shared apartment.

“I’m gonna reopen the diner,” She said, breaking the short silence. She once again looked back into Jughead's eyes, offering a smile. “I thought I could restore some of our infamous pep.”

He chuckled. “I will certainly look forward to the burgers. Plenty of pep there.”

She returned the laugh, her thoughts of Michael, and the nervous energy that accompanied them, dissipating.

The two stared at each other, unsure of what to say. What do you say to the person you have been thinking and wondering about for the last five years, but never found the courage to reach out and talk to?

“So,” Jughead broke the silence. “You’re restoring Pop’s?” He looked behind her, through the open door. He had been in there a year or two earlier, broken in with some serpents, looking to survey the damage of his old haunt. As he looked, he realized she had really already answered that question. He refrained from cringing at his awkwardness.

“Yeah, I was about to start painting the walls actually.”

He nodded, shoving his hands into his front pockets.

“I would offer to help but I got to run to work.” He pulled his hand from his pocket to check his watch. He was already running a bit late, but Betty Cooper was worth the scolding from Toni.

“Where are you working?” She asked, even though she knew the answer. Archie knew she wanted an update but did not want to ask, so he had let a few details about Jughead slip.

“The Whyte Worm,” He answered, returning his hand to his pocket. “I’m bartending. I’m actually managing it.”

“That’s great,” She replied, but they both heard the hollow tone in her voice. During their last meeting Jughead had been saving up for an apartment in New York, ready to finish his manuscript, and finally, become a published novelist. Something had not worked out the way he had planned. Betty’s curious habits got the better of her, and she wanted to uncover why.

“You should stop by tonight,” He said, taking a few steps back towards his bike. “We could catch up.”

“That sounds great!” She said. She did want to catch up. She wanted to know what happened, why he never left Riverdale.

As bid her goodbye, he realized he wanted to discover the real reason she came back.


End file.
